I salici
1885
Before Paul Gauguin became the wild child of art history running off to Tahiti, he was actually painting quiet, leafy French landscapes just like this one. Created in 1885, Les Saules shows him deeply under the spell of Impressionism—long before he fully embraced the Symbolist movement—likely learning from his friend Camille Pissarro how to capture dappled sunlight through loose, scratchy brushstrokes. It is a fascinating glimpse into his early career, a far cry from the bold, flat colors he is famous for today, proving that even the most rebellious artists start by mastering the rules before breaking them.
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